British Sandwich Week runs this year from 19 to 25 May 2025 and shines the spotlight on the humble sandwich. Vegetarian for Life gives some ideas for a heavenly vegan or vegetarian sandwich.
Sandwiches are a must for any afternoon tea, buffet, picnic, quick snack, or meal on the go. Most of us have a preference about what constitutes the best bread and filling – whether it's cheese and pickle on a white slice, or sourdough with tapenade, roasted peppers and hummus. Or even a chip butty. A sandwich can be all things to all people.
Whether you are a caterer or just making a sandwich for yourself, you can improve the nutritional value of a sandwich in many different ways. Higher protein bread is readily available, either sliced or as a bagel – the latter contains an impressive 6g of protein per bagel.
Hummus can be made from a variety of beans or pulses and is a good source of protein. Simply drain tinned beans then blend with a stick blender or food processor with a little olive oil, tahini, lemon and garlic. If you feel more adventurous add chilli, paprika, cumin, herbs, stock powder or roasted peppers – whatever you fancy. Or you can buy hummus from the shops…
Pâté can be easily made from a variety of ingredients, such as roasted mushrooms with a little garlic, cream cheese and walnuts. Roasted pepper works well with sun-dried tomatoes and dill. For something spicy try roasted pepper and chilli pepper.
Vegan cheese, the soft spreadable style works well, either as a single ingredient or combined with other ingredients. Hard vegan cheese works quite well if served with pickles or other flavours. Why not try making your own vegan nut cheeses?
Mayonnaise is a great ingredient to add flavour and a creamy texture to your sandwich filling. Although plant-based mayonnaise is easy to make, supermarkets offer a range of brands, all of which are good.
Deli-style vegan slices are very popular at the moment, and available in a variety of flavours and textures, such as vegan ham, chicken, beef and turkey. Although meat substitutes may seem unusual to the uninitiated, they taste nice and don't involve killing an animal. For those people who are brought up eating meat, they provide taste, texture and familiarity. If you are a caterer, do ask ahead whether your meat substitutes are acceptable, because not all vegans and veggies like them.
Pickles, relishes and mustards make a difference to the texture and flavour of a sandwich. My partner is a gherkin fan – she slices them thinly and adds them to hummus, rocket and tomato sandwiches. My preference is piccalilli, which she can’t stand. But we both have our preferences as everyone does, and asking what people would like makes such a difference.
The quantity of filling you include is important; too little looks mean, but a generous helping may fall out when you try to eat it. I’m not sure why, but it feels like the sandwich is posher with plenty of filling.
Hot or cold?
During the 1980s, toasted sandwiches were all the rage, and fillings such as baked beans and melted cheese topped the charts. If you do not have a sandwich maker, a grill or dry frying pan will do the job; just squash the sandwich with your hand and cook on either side. As a student, I used a sandwich maker to make a quick version of apple Charlotte.
What about the bread?
We can choose from a wide range of breads including: French baguette, rye, wraps, pitta, sourdough, rolls, brioche, wholemeal and plain white. Some breads contain ingredients baked into them such as olives, cheese, chilli and walnuts. So, what makes the best sandwich bread? Well, for some people very crusty breads can be difficult to chew. Some breads fall apart too easily, and some have strong flavours (such as rye) that may not be to everyone’s taste. If you are catering for a vegan, do be mindful of bread that contains dairy ingredients.
Serving your sandwich can be equally as important as the actual sandwich. A nice serving plate frames your sandwich. Make your sandwiches as close to serving as you can to prevent them from drying, or even getting soggy. And taking the time to add a garnish or a few crisps on the side can lift the presentation.
Whether you are planning a picnic, afternoon tea, buffet or just preparing something on the go, take time to celebrate the sandwich. And tip your hat to its inventor, John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich.
More sandwich suggestions can be found on the soups and sandwiches section of our website.